Boat-launching apparatus



G.;WR|GHT. BOAT LAuNcHxNG APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED-JUNE 22., |920.

Patented Aug. 1,1922.'

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22,1920.

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vGEORGE WRIGHT, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNA.

IBOAT-LAUNCHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

.Application filed June 22, 1920. Serial No. 390,935.

Va series of boats from a boat deck of a seagoing vessel simultaneously and in serial or der; to automatically dispose a plurality of boats in passengerfloading positions simultaneously, and in superposed spaced relation; to expedite the loading of said life boats in cases of emergency; and to generally expedite the operation of launching a ships boats.

Drawings.

\ and arranged in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same, part of the supporting standards being cut away to show the construction otherwise concealed thereby; and

Figure 4 is a schematic view showing the apparatus in its several positions showing the various steps in the handling of the boats.

Description.

It has been the custom to nest the boats substantially as shown in Figure 3 of the Hdrawings, the lower boat being disposed in cradles provided therefor, and the superposed boats being disposed within the lower boat. It is obvious that when thus arranged, a sea-going vessel with more or less limited deck space may augment the number of boats usually carried.

Heretofore the boats have been launched successively, the davits and falls connected therewith being employed for hoisting first f the uppermost boat to carry it to the passenger-loading position, and subsequently to the launching position, before the falls returned for the second boat, and so on, for

the third and fourth boat. lt is obvious lin ther drawings as A, B and that the time consumed in this arrangement is very great, and, in the presence of panic which usually occurs, one or more of the boats are abandoned by the crew.

The present invention provides means for handling all of the boats at one time, while making provisions for the necessary separa- Ation of the boats to receive their load, and

providing the needed precession of the boats when being disposed in thev water, to avoid dangerous collision with each other.

To this end each of the boats designated C, is attached to separate falls or cables 9, 10 and 11. The cables 9, 10 and 11 are wound on drums' 12, 13 and 14, respectively. The drums 12, 13 and 14 have different diameters, the drum 12 being larger than the drum 13, and the drum 13 being larger than the drum 14.

-The difference inthe sizes of the said drums corresponds with the difference in the loading positions of the boats A, B and C, as indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings. That is to say, the distance between the boats A and B, and B and C in the loading positions shown by the full lines in Figure 4, corresponds with the differences in the circumferences of the said drums, when and as the same are lowered from the outboard position to which they are lifted, and moved by the swing of the davits 15. Due to the greater peripheral speed of the drum 12, the cable 9, which is wound on'the said drum, carries the entire burden of the nested boats A, B and C, when the boats are lifted from the cradle' 16 on which they are stowed in the inactive position.

The davit 15 is manipulated to automatically swing inboard or outboard by a mecha nism set forth in an application for improvements in boat launching apparatus iiled by me, the 24th day of September, 1919, bearing Serial No. 326,031 and to which application cross reference is here made. lt will be understood that any of the cables 9, 10 or 11. may be utilized for operating the tripping mechanism described in the application above referred to. i

The drums 12, 13 and 14 are preferably integrally or rigidly connected. They are mounted on a shaft 17, which is driven by an electric motor 18. Both ends of each of the cables 9, 10 and ll. are attached to the re spective boats, and at the opposite ends thereofin hooks Ior eyelets, such as usually 'are provided. The extensions of the said cables are carried from the said drums in relatively opposite directions, one` extension being paid off at the top of the drurn with which it is associated, while theothe'r eXtension is paid off at the bottom of the saidl drum, with the result' that the said eXtensions move in relatively opposite directions when approaching or leaving the drum. Uniformity7 ofmovement of the ends of the respective boats is thereby assured.

The various cables 9, 10 and' 1v1, are jcarried by pulleys 19, 2O and 21 to the blocks 22st the top of the davits 15. Asseen in Figure 2 fof the drawings, the-cable 11' is eX- tended through thefshiftableguide bloclQB,

i v which-is' more fully described 'in the applidevice for the single boats will be employedl when a vessel. is equipped with the appacation above referred to. The pins 24 may be withdrawn from the blocks in the position shownin Figure 2, and transferred to the holesQ in' the lower extremity offthe davits15, when -it' is 1 desired 13o-move the davitsto the outboard or active operating rposition of the same. The result of` moving the block 23 tothe upper or lowerrposition provided for the said blocks is set forth in the application referred to.`

It has not been thought'necessary to show 'the electric source and circuit utilized for operating the motor. It'will also beunderstood that the arrangement disclosed in the application above referred to' with reference to the group handling of the launching ratus'` here disclosed for handling a plurality of boats by the same apparatus.

Int-heV operation of the apparatus the motor `18 iis first employed for lifting the boats A, B, and C, from the cradles 16. As explained, `the weight of the entire group cf boats will be borne by the cable 9, due to thel fact that the larger circumference ofthe drum 12 takes up more of the-cable with which lit is associated than do the drums 13 land 14. p

The beats being free of the cradles` the davits 15 are ,swung outboard, as shown in Figure 4 ofthe drawings; In this position of the davits, the motor 18 is reversed and the boats are loweredto the position shown' in fulllines, which, as indicated, places the variousAboats opposite the .various decks where they are to receive the passengers'.

. In paying out ,thefcables 9, 10 and 11, the drums 12, established by the relative circumferences of the said drums. As seen, the boat C= is supportedQby the cable 11, which ispaid out from` th'eirelatively small drum A therefore in the 14, and

the upper loading deck. In the same space of time, the drum 13 pays out suiciently 13' and 14foperate as in the ratio y given time only ,passesvv tomore of the cable 10 to dispose the boat B opposite the second deck, while the drum 12 is paying out sufficient of the" cable 9 to dispose the boat A opposite the lower deck. rlliese'positioiis being'maintained, the motor 18` vis arrested, and holds the apparatus while the various boats are receiving the passengers and crew. This having been accomplished the motor 18 is ag-aiit actuated to payuoutthe various cables, when again ,the difference inthe size of the drums effects further separation of the boats A, B and C. As shown by broken lines, the position'of the boat B is suiliciently above the boat A, when kthe latter reachesythe water,

te `avoid being struck thereby when lifted by a wave. v i

The motor 18 may bev arrested 1n" this position, or continued to operate as' experience .shall deem expedient, the idea being-that sufcient time-shall be allowed to'clearvthe boat A from the vessel tovgive space for the boat B when it arrives at launchingv position. Both boats are cleared away from the vessel as rapidly as possible,to allow the boat C p to be launched, vwhich is accomplished by the continuation `of the operation cf the motor 18. l

It will be understood that when the boats are returned to the ship, they are hoisted in the serial manner indicated.

Claims.

porting a group of `boats in nested relation;

a plurality of cables each attached to one of said boats; and-a. hoisting mechani'smf for said cables embodying a plurality of drums, eaf'ch drinn engaging one: of said-[cables and lower said as characterized comsimultaneously to wind said cables atvarious fixed ratios for operating said boatsy in grou-ps.- Y V A 8. An apparatus as` characterized comprising a plurality of v boat-hvandlin'g davits';

means disposed between said davits for sup-1v porting a group of boats inil nested relation; a plurality 'of cables each attached-to one of said boats; and ahoisting mechanism for said cables embodying a pluralityof drums,

each drum engaging one of said cables to wind saidcables at variousrates for operating said boats at lvarious speedsf,said

drums being rigidly connected for operation simultaneously. Y

4f. An apparatus as characterized comdrum engagingV one of said cables, and a prising a plurality of boat handling davits; driving. mechanism for said drums for Windineans disposed between said davits for ing said caloles simultaneously at various 1o supporting a group of boats in nested relafixed ratios for operating said boats at rela- 5 tion; a hoisting mechanism embodying a tively different speeds.

plurality of cables, each attached to one of said boats, a plurality of drums, each GERGE WRIGHT. 

